Inside Playboy's Chicago Casting Call

Hefner, who started the company in Chicago in 1953, is reportedly attempting to sell the empire for $300 million. Its current market value is only about $100 million, having lost readers of its magazine and viewers of its pay-per-view TV programs. Playboy is also reported to have laid off 25 percent of its workforce in Los Angeles and New York.

However, earlier this month, a Playboy spokesperson insisted that there are no ownership changes taking place, saying that the company would simply listen to proposals "that would create value for all our shareholders."